


Make Your Body a Manuscript

by SlantedKnitting



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, M/M, Modern Era, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, Trans Character, Trans Female Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-01
Updated: 2019-08-01
Packaged: 2020-07-28 22:24:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20071579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SlantedKnitting/pseuds/SlantedKnitting
Summary: On their 16th birthdays, Merlin, Arthur, and Morgana wake up to find their soulmate's name written on their skin.Merlin is confused. Arthur is resigned. Morgana is apprehensive.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Partially inspired by some of the thoughts on [this tumblr post](https://krumcake.tumblr.com/post/84983728019/honestly-im-really-only-interested-in-soulmate).

Merlin barely manages to get any sleep the night before his 16th birthday. He imagines it's a common scenario—him, his last night as a 15-year-old, and restless tossing and turning. Every time he drifts off, he dreams of himself standing in front of the mirror, naked and bare. Completely bare, not a single blemish or mark anywhere on his body. His freckles are gone, that mole on his shoulder disappeared, all his scars faded to nothing.

Then he jerks himself awake and lies there for another long while, trying to resist the urge to go check the mirror. He knows he has to wait until at least dawn. Maybe even later. When Gwen had gotten hers, it had taken until evening before it was dark enough to read.

He's awake when his alarm goes off, and he hurries into the bathroom. He shucks off his clothes and stands square in front of the full-length mirror on the back of the door.

There. Just above his left hipbone. His mark. His soulmate's name.

_Arthur_

With a little crown next to it, elegant and pristine.

The marks are dark, bold, precise, and impossible to mistake for anything else.

"Arthur," Merlin repeats to himself, thinking there has to be some mistake.

"Merlin!" his mother, Hunith, calls from the kitchen. "Breakfast."

Merlin blinks at his reflection, trying to see what has apparently been hiding under the surface this whole time. Surely he would have known by now.

"Merlin!"

"Coming, Mum!" Merlin shouts back and frantically gets dressed, deciding he will deal with it later. Maybe he's so sleep deprived that he read it wrong. Maybe it will change into something else by the end of the day. Maybe…

When he gets downstairs, he sees that Hunith has strung up banners in the living room. Happy Birthday. Happy Mark Day.

"There you are," she says happily, pulling him into the kitchen. "Happy Birthday, Merlin. I made your favourite."

Merlin sits at the table and forces himself to eat a piece of the coffee cake even though he isn't hungry. It's tasteless in his mouth.

"So," she says, sitting opposite him, "do you have it yet?"

Merlin shakes his head.

Hunith just smiles. "Not to worry. Mine didn't appear until almost midnight."

"What does yours say?" Merlin asks. He's never asked before.

"Balinor. With a little dragon."

Merlin takes another bite of cake. So, his parents had been soulmates after all. And his father had left, anyway.

"Don't look so morose," she admonishes. "We were happy together."

Merlin struggles to swallow. "What if…"

Hunith waits patiently.

"What if it's wrong?"

"It can't be wrong," Hunith says gently. "Although, you're welcome to ignore it. Plenty do. Will's parents weren't soulmates, and they would have stayed together forever if he hadn’t died."

"Wait… they weren't soulmates?"

"No. Maybe she'll still find hers."

"Yeah," Merlin says absently. He's never considered that the mark could be a suggestion rather than a mandate, a sentence, a fate.

"Not to worry," she says again. "You're young. These things have a way of figuring themselves out."

Merlin goes back to his cake.

In the evening, after Hunith has gone to bed, Merlin goes back to the mirror. He gets naked again, his eyes skimming all the usual landmarks on his body. The freckles. The mole on his shoulder. The scars on his knees from when he'd fallen over too many times as a child. The scar on his hand from the stitches. His ears.

The mark is still there, clear as day. If anything, it's gotten darker.

_Arthur_

His girlfriend's name is Freya. He's straight. And he's so confused.

There's no way Arthur could be a girl's name. Maybe if it was a more neutral name like Taylor or Jamie, but no. It's _Arthur_, and that can only be a boy's name.

Merlin imagines getting naked with Freya—not that they have, yet, but one day—and having her see this. She doesn't turn 16 for another four months, but he knows _now_ that she isn't his soulmate. He had assumed as much—they were young, after all, and puppy love rarely lasted—but now he _knew_. He knew that they weren't meant to end up together.

He had lied to her that morning at school, saying his mark hadn't appeared yet. She had just smiled and kissed him, assured him that it would come in time, and gone off to class like she wasn't worried.

Maybe she wasn't worried. Maybe she knew as well as he did that their first relationship was unlikely to be their last.

Still. Even if it's not Freya, surely it's supposed to be a girl. Merlin is _straight_. How could he end up with someone named Arthur?

Maybe he's meant to end up with a trans woman, and Arthur is her birth name. That, at least, seems within the realm of possibilities for his future. He'll have to get the mark corrected, though. Maybe he can get a tattoo over it with her real name. Then they won't be stuck looking at _Arthur_ for the rest of their lives.

Deciding that must be it, Merlin gets dressed again and goes into his room to finish up his homework. He has a text from Freya.

**Did it show up yet?**

It takes him a long time to figure out how to respond.

_Yes, I'll tell you about it tomorrow. I love you._

**I love you too. Happy Birthday! Sleep tight :)**

———

Arthur wakes up hungover on the morning of his 16th birthday. He and his friends had had a little party the night before, and, since his dad was away on business, they'd gotten into his alcohol collection.

It had been a stupid idea.

At least it's a weekend, though. Arthur can't imagine facing school this way.

He's considering his options for breakfast, wondering what's the least harmful thing he could manage to stomach, when it hits him.

He's 16.

He rushes to yank off his clothes, his head spinning a little with each movement.

_Merlin_

With a little stick next to it. Or—is that a magic wand? There are beams of light shooting out of it.

"Fuck," Arthur says, and he lies back down. "Fuck, fuck fuck."

He had hoped it wasn't true. He had hoped it was just a phase. He had hoped it was normal to feel this way about other guys. He had hoped everyone else felt this way.

He had known better. He knows better, now, for sure. He can't imagine a girl being named Merlin. It has to be a boy's name. And that means it's true. He's gay.

His mobile rings and it takes him a moment to find it buried under his covers.

"Hey, Dad," he says, and his voice cracks. He clears his throat.

"Arthur. Happy Birthday, son." Uther's voice is all business.

"Thanks, Dad."

"I'm sorry I'm not there for it."

Arthur's not. "It's fine," he says. "Work is important."

There's a few beats of silence on the line.

"Well," Uther finally says, and Arthur closes his eyes. "Tell me. What's the lucky lady's name?"

"Dad—"

"Unless it didn't show up yet. That's normal, too, you know."

"I know."

"It'll come in by the evening."

"It's there now," Arthur says.

"Oh? What's it say, then?"

He can hear the uncertainty in his father's voice.

"It's…"

He can't do it.

Uther sighs, and Arthur knows that he knows.

"I have to run," Uther says, and the disappointment is clear. "I'll see you when I get home tomorrow. Don't forget to water the plants."

He hangs up without saying goodbye, without saying that he loves Arthur, without getting into the mess that Arthur just dropped on their laps.

Arthur puts down his mobile and looks at the marks on his hip again.

_Merlin_

"That's a stupid name," Arthur says, and he goes to find some breakfast.

———

Morgana can barely stand it. It's been an hour since dawn, and the mark is still too light to see. It's there—it's definitely there. She has a soulmate. There's someone for her. It's just a matter of who.

She has a hard time believing there's anyone out there who could love her. She barely loves herself. Mostly she loves what she could become, the woman she sees herself as in the future. It's hard to love what she is now. She tries, though. She doesn't want to go through life hating herself. She wants to feel normal. She wants to _be_ normal.

She checks her hip again. It looks like it might say…

_Leon_

With a tiny something next it. Something long and sharp. A sword, perhaps.

Morgana takes a deep breath. Leon.

She knows a Leon. Leon is her brother's best friend. And Leon knows her.

Rather, Leon knows what she has to present herself as. He knows the lie. He knows the version of Morgana that everyone else does. He doesn't know _her_.

Leon had turned 16 months ago. She remembers because her brother, Arthur, had hosted a pool party for him. All his friends had been after him to show off his mark—he was the oldest in the group, the first one to get it—but he had refused. Morgana had been there, doing her best to blend in with the boys. He had given her a look. A look like he knew. And then, to escape his friends' grabby hands, he'd jumped into the pool. Morgana had gone back inside.

Maybe that hadn't been the right interpretation of the look. Maybe he'd meant something else by it. Maybe her name had been there, branding his skin. Maybe he hadn't wanted to reveal to his friends that he had a boy's name on his hip.

_Morgan_

Morgana wipes her eyes and takes a deep breath to steady herself. She can live with Leon as her soulmate. If he can stand what she plans to become. If he can get past knowing the lie version of her that he's known so far. If he will agree to get the mark corrected. It wouldn't be hard work, just adding an A.

She can live with that. Leon is kind. He's the nicest out of all Arthur's friends. He's the only one who treats Morgana like a person rather than just Arthur's sibling. She can see them lying out together by the pool, getting to know each other, ignoring Arthur's calls for Leon to come play with him in the pool, falling in love.

Morgana sighs and wipes her eyes again. Maybe it's a different Leon entirely. Maybe it's someone she hasn't met yet, someone she won't meet for years to come, someone who will only ever know the true version of herself.

There's a knock on the door and Morgana pulls on briefs and a t-shirt before opening it.

"Hey," Arthur says. "Happy Birthday."

He's holding out a cupcake with a candle on it. He must have gotten up early to buy it from the bakeshop in town.

"Thank you," she says, and he pulls her in for a hug before she can take it.

"You're welcome," he says gruffly, ever so manly with his displays of affection. "Did you get it, yet?"

Morgana nods. She knows Arthur's mark also has a boy's name. She thinks she's the only one he's told. She hasn't told him about herself yet, though. Not yet.

"Anyone we know?"

"Maybe."

Arthur doesn't ask her to clarify. "I've made breakfast, if you want."

Morgana nods again and follows him down to the kitchen.


	2. Chapter 2

Merlin rolls over and takes a deep breath. There's a man lying in bed next to him, fast asleep and snoring a little. He's been there all night. He's naked underneath the covers.

Merlin looks up at the ceiling. So, he thinks, not as straight as I thought.

He's been ignoring it for years, the mark on his hip and that little twinge in his chest whenever he sees a particularly attractive man. He figured he was just objectively appreciating obvious beauty.

That had been a stupid thing to think. Now, here he is, with complete proof that he's not entirely straight.

He's not gay, though. That, at least, is clear. He's fallen in love with enough women to know that his attraction to them is real.

Each of them had questioned his mark, and Merlin had never known what to say. Usually he just laughed it off, saying he must be the first ever mistake, and the women usually followed his lead and dropped it.

The man in bed next to him, though, hadn't batted an eyelid at the name. He'd licked across it, actually, before redirecting his mouth elsewhere.

Merlin can feel himself getting warm as the events from the night before flash through his mind. The kissing, the groping, the blowjobs—birthday blowjobs, the man had said before showing Merlin exactly what his tongue could do.

It had all been great. He'd enjoyed it. He'd given into the pleasure, turned off the part of his brain that was screaming 'WHAT ARE WE DOING,' and just experienced what was happening.

Now, in the morning, he has no regrets. It had felt good. It still feels good. He finds that he likes the sound of the man snoring, likes the idea of waking him and doing it all over again, likes the idea of maybe exchanging numbers and getting dinner sometime.

He can do this, he decides. He can enjoy both men and women. If he's really, truly, deeply honest with himself, he's known he's bisexual for quite a while.

The first hint had been the mark, as much as he tried to ignore it.

Now, though, he can stop pretending. He can let the mark be what it is—a sign of what's yet to come.

The more he thinks about it, the more excited he gets. He can't wait to meet this Arthur. He'll probably be gorgeous—blond and built and bold, just Merlin's type. The man lying next to him is all those things, too, but his name isn't Arthur. He's cute, though. And he's a good stepping stone. Now Merlin knows. His soulmate is named _Arthur_, and he will end up with a man. And that’s not the end of the world.

"Happy Birthday," the man grumbles, rolling over and into Merlin.

Merlin chuckles and presses a kiss to the man's hair. "Happy Birthday."

"Not _my_ birthday," he says, laughing.

He reaches below the covers for Merlin's cock, and Merlin lets him, happy to receive another birthday blowjob.

———

Arthur takes a long swig of his beer and looks around his father's kitchen. Uther is away, as usual, and it's Arthur's birthday, so he's thrown himself a party. His friends are all outside by the pool, waiting for him to come back with something for them to eat.

All he can find are granola bars and sandwich meat.

"We'll have to order pizza," he says as he goes back outside. "Who wants what?"

There's a lot of shouting and arguing, but eventually the pizza gets ordered and Arthur gets to settle himself in the hot tub..

Gwaine, his boyfriend, is there, along with Leon and Morgana.

Morgana looks good in her bikini. She seems comfortable in it, at home in her skin in a way he hadn't seen when they were growing up. It's high-waisted, though, covering her mark. Arthur still doesn't know what it says.

She and Leon are laughing over something, and Arthur drapes his arm over Gwaine's shoulders.

"Hey," Gwaine says. He leans in close to nip at Arthur's ear. "I have something for you."

"Now?" Arthur asks, wondering how Gwaine could possibly be hiding a surprise for him in the hot tub.

"Yeah. Let's kick them out."

Before Arthur can politely ask Leon and Morgana to make a tactful exit, Gwaine splashes them.

"Hey!" Morgana shouts, wiping water off her face. "What the hell?"

"Mind leaving us alone for a bit?" Gwaine asks, his smile wide and his intentions clear.

Morgana groans. "You could have just asked," she said as she gets out of the hot tub. Leon follows her without protest.

"What do you have for me?" Arthur asks when they're alone.

Gwaine gives him a kiss. "Just that."

"You kicked them out so you could give me a kiss?" Arthur rolls his eyes.

"And this." Gwaine leans close again, his lips brushing against Arthur's. "I love you."

Arthur exhales. Gwaine has never said that before. He hadn't thought Gwaine capable of such things.

"You—"

"I just wanted you to know," Gwaine says, sitting back with a smile. "Forget this Merlin fellow. I'm here, you're here—let's make the most of it."

Arthur chuckles and pulls Gwaine back in for another kiss. "I love you, too," he says, smiling so hard his cheeks hurt.

Gwaine kisses him again and again and again, and they go up to Arthur's old room to fuck while everyone else is distracted with the pizza. This is the best birthday Arthur's had in years, and he has to agree with Gwaine's sentiment. Forget this Merlin guy, whoever he is. He's 26, and he's never in his life met anyone with that name. Maybe one day he will show up, but until then, Arthur plans to make the most of what he actually has in front of him. And, luckily for him, Gwaine is pretty brilliant. He's real, he's _here_, and he doesn't mind that his name isn't written on Arthur's hip or that Arthur's name isn't written on his. They can make the most of this for as long as it makes sense to, and Arthur likes the sound of that.

———

Morgana's sunglasses get pulled off her face, and she sits up, annoyed.

"What was that for?" she asks, holding out her hand. Arthur gives her back the glasses.

"You've got company."

Morgana looks towards the house and can make out two figures in the kitchen. It looks like Leon, shaking hands with Uther.

"He's not here to see you?" she asks.

"It's _your_ birthday," Arthur says.

Morgana sits up and grabs the towel hanging off the back of her lawn chair. She wraps it around herself and follows Arthur inside.

"Morgana," Leon says pleasantly. "I just stopped by to say Happy Birthday."

"You didn't have to do that."

Leon shrugs. "I heard you were home celebrating. Figured I'd come by and catch up."

"Come outside?" Morgana asks.

Leon follows and Morgana leads him over to the lawn chairs, careful to keep the towel firmly in place. Leon lays out and covers his eyes with a hand so he can look over and see her.

"Having a good one?" he asks.

"Pretty good. It's mostly just this." Morgana gestures at the pool. "I'm trying to get tanned."

"I've never seen you tanned."

"Exactly. I don't tan. I burn."

"Then why are you—"

"Because a girl can dream."

Leon chuckles and pulls a small box out of his jeans pocket. He hands it over, and Morgana takes it, curious.

Inside are a pair of pearl earrings. They look real.

"Leon," she says, sitting up to face him. "I can't accept these."

"I want you to."

"I can't."

Leon sits up and gives her a look that sends a shiver down her spine.

"It's my name, isn't it?"

Morgana gulps. She can't believe he's doing this, here, now, with a box of pearl earrings and her family still in the kitchen.

"Leon—"

"I have yours."

Morgana glances at his hip even though he's fully clothed. She wonders exactly what it says. She wants to know. She doesn't want to know.

"You…"

Leon licks his lips and sighs. "I'm in a relationship."

Morgana looks down at the earrings. "I am, too," she says. Her boyfriend is driving towards Uther's as they speak. He's joining them for a family dinner.

"I just thought we should… admit it, I guess. I don't have any next steps planned. I just wanted to confirm."

Morgana hands the earrings back. "I can't accept these."

"All right." He puts the box in his pocket. "Sorry."

"You don't have to apologise. They're _very_ nice. You should give them to your girlfriend."

"Maybe." Leon looks at her for a long moment. "Did you know it was me?"

"I suspected," Morgana admits. "I've never met another Leon. And I used to think you were flirting with me."

"I was. I do believe in soulmates, Morgana. And apparently you're mine. Obviously we're not meant to be together right _now_, but I guess we'll manage it one day. And I just want you to know that I'm okay with that."

Morgana can't help but smile. "Thank you. I'm okay with that, too."

Leon leans forward and gives her forehead a kiss. "I hope you have a good rest of your birthday."

"Thank you. And thank you for the earrings. It was a very nice thought."

Leon smiles and excuses himself back into the house. Morgana lies down on the lawn chair again, taking a deep breath. She folds back her towel and peeks down at her hip.

_Leon_

With a sword.

She remembers wondering if he would be able to accept her. She remembers how he was the only one of Arthur's friends who never batted an eye at her transition. She remembers the way he always focused on her, only her, even when Arthur was around.

They're soulmates. It's not time, yet, but they will get there. And he is okay with that. And so is Morgana.


	3. Chapter 3

Merlin dances his way over to the bar, sliding between the writhing bodies and stepping around the stickier parts of the floor.

He orders his drink and looks around the club, trying to spot Gwen.

All he spots is a beautiful blond man staring at him from farther down the bar. He flashes a smile and looks back at the bartender who is still preparing the drink.

"Hey."

Merlin looks over and the blond man is there, right next to him.

"Hey," Merlin says.

The man is standing close enough that Merlin can feel the heat radiating off him. He wonders if the blond man can feel him, too.

"Can I pay for your drink?"

"If you insist," Merlin says with a grin. As if he'd turn down an offer like that from a man like this. He's exactly Merlin's type—blond and built and bold. And it's his birthday, after all. He deserves a treat.

The bartender hands over Merlin's drink and the blond man hands over the money.

"Thanks," Merlin says before taking a sip.

"You're welcome. Are you here by yourself?"

Merlin shakes his head. "I'm here with a friend, but I've lost her somewhere."

"Shame."

Merlin shrugs. "She can take care of herself."

The blond man nods. "Come and dance?"

Merlin follows the man back into the crowd. They stop near the windows, pushed up against each other thanks to the enthusiastic dancers surrounding them.

"Want a sip?" Merlin shouts to be heard over the music.

Arthur takes one and pulls a face. "What is that?"

"Vodka cranberry."

"That's disgusting!"

Merlin laughs and takes another sip before starting to sway his hips. The blond man follows suit.

He's not a particularly graceful dancer, but Merlin finds that he doesn't mind. He likes looking at the man's muscles through his shirt, and his thighs in his tight jeans. He just wishes the man would turn around so he could get a good look at his arse.

When Merlin's drink is done and his cup deposited onto a windowsill, the man grabs his waist so they can properly dance together. Merlin presses forward, slotting his hips against the man's and building up a slow, rhythmic grind.

"Are you here alone?" Merlin asks.

"I'm here with my ex."

"That's weird."

The man chuckles. "I suppose. He's trying to help me pull."

"Doesn’t seem like you need any help in that department."

"That's what I told him. Is your friend here to help you as well?"

"It's my birthday," Merlin explains, and the man grins.

"Happy Birthday!" he shouts, and then he slides his hands around to Merlin's arse and pulls him closer.

Merlin wiggles against him, doing his best to dance to the beat even though he's fairly squished against the blond man.

When the song changes, Merlin turns around, pushing his arse against the man's crotch and throwing his arms up in the air. The man presses a kiss to the back of Merlin's neck.

"I'm Arthur, by the way," he says, his lips dragging against the shell of Merlin's ear.

"You're the 6th Arthur I've met," Merlin says.

He can feel Arthur chuckling behind him. "Why are you keeping count?"

"Because that's the name on my hip."

"What a coincidence," Arthur says before flicking his tongue out, getting it in Merlin's ear. Merlin turns around for a proper kiss. Arthur tastes like bad beer, and it's a horrible combination with the cranberry still on Merlin's tongue.

"I'm Merlin," he says when they break apart.

Arthur stops moving, his eyes wide.

"What?" Merlin asks.

Arthur's mouth opens, but he doesn't say anything.

"What?" he asks again, concerned.

Arthur looks down and back up, and then he says something that Merlin doesn’t catch.

"What?" he asks, leaning forward to hear better.

"Your name's on my hip," Arthur says.

Merlin pulls back and slaps a hand over his mouth.

_This_ is Arthur? This is _Arthur_. This is his soulmate.

Arthur's face twists into something that's probably supposed to be a smile, and Merlin finds himself laughing.

This is his soulmate, and they've already kissed, and they were just grinding at a club on Merlin's birthday, and they tasted so bad together, and he's bloody gorgeous, and this is _Arthur_.

"Well, Arthur," he says, gaining some composure. "It's nice to meet you."

Arthur still looks a little shell-shocked, so Merlin grabs his hand and pulls him off the dance floor. They end up near the loos, and Gwen comes out before either of them can say anything.

"Having a good time?" Gwen asks, eying Arthur appreciatively.

"This is Arthur," Merlin says. "_Arthur_ Arthur."

Gwen's mouth drops open. "Oh! I mean—oh! Hi. Hello!"

Arthur smiles and lets her shake his hand.

"I'm Gwen," she says. "And, well. I guess I… I guess I'll go home? I don't imagine you'll be needing me for the rest of the night?"

Merlin shakes his head, and Gwen gives him an enormous hug.

"He's hot," she whispers in his ear before stepping away. She gives Arthur a hug, too, and then heads out, leaving them still standing awkwardly by the loos.

"Should we…" Arthur trails off.

"Should we go somewhere else?" Merlin suggests. "Somewhere we can talk?"

Arthur nods, so Merlin grabs his hand again and pushes through the crowd to the exit.

———

"Birthday! Blowjobs!" Merlin sings as he tugs Arthur inside their flat. "Birthday! Blowjobs!"

Arthur laughs and, getting his fingers in Merlin's hair, pulls him in for a kiss. "You're ridiculous, did you know that?"

"I thought you liked it," Merlin says, pouting.

Arthur kisses him again. "I love it."

Merlin beams and pushes Arthur towards their bedroom and then onto their bed. He grabs Arthur's jeans and yanks them off.

"You're—" Arthur chuckles as Merlin drops to his knees and spreads Arthur's legs. "Eager tonight," he finishes.

Merlin looks at where Arthur is already hard. "Says you."

"Says me," Arthur agrees. He peels off his shirt and leans back on his elbows.

Despite his eagerness, Merlin doesn't dive right in. He starts slow—and low. He sinks to the floor and kisses Arthur's ankle. He kisses up from there, kissing every inch or so, until he reaches Arthur's knee. Then he does the same on Arthur's other leg.

"What are you doing?" Arthur asks, amused.

"Enjoying you," Merlin says. He starts kissing up from Arthur's knee, towards his straining cock.

"I think you could enjoy me better if you, you know, got on with it."

Merlin just smirks and kisses up Arthur's other thigh, taking his sweet time with it. Eventually, satisfied with his teasing, he kisses Arthur's balls and then up his cock until he reaches the tip.

"Finally," Arthur breaths as Merlin sinks his mouth down around him.

Merlin looks up at him as he pulls off, and Arthur has to make an effort not to groan. He loves when Merlin watches him during a blowjob. And Merlin knows that. He uses it to his advantage, keeping his eyes trained on Arthur's face as he flicks his tongue against Arthur's cock, as he takes it back inside his mouth, as he kisses around Arthur's balls, as he slowly takes Arthur apart.

"Merlin," Arthur breathes when Merlin finally starts focusing exclusively on sucking his cock. He's ready to let go, ready to watch Merlin swallow his come, ready to take his turn and get Merlin's cock in his mouth.

Merlin hums and the vibrations around his cock make Arthur moan. He grabs hold of Merlin's hair, guiding his speed and getting it just the way he wants it.

Merlin's ready for it when he comes. Arthur gasps and tries to warn him, but all he gets out are a series of moans as he comes down Merlin's throat. Merlin, still looking up, sucks him through it, down to the last drop, and pulls off just to give his softening cock a dozen or so soft kisses.

"Happy Birthday," Merlin says happily.

Arthur sits up and leans down for a kiss. "Thanks. That was very nice."

Merlin snorts. "Gee, such high praise."

Arthur drags his thumb over Merlin's lower lip, and Merlin's eyes flutter shut.

"It'd be even nicer if I got to return the favour."

"If you like," Merlin says innocently.

"You know I do." Arthur stands and pulls Merlin to his feet so they can get his clothes off.

When he's naked, Arthur pushes him down on the bed and crawls on top of him. He kisses his mouth for a brief moment, then kisses down his neck, his chest, his stomach. He kisses down the trail of hair under his navel.

He kisses over to Merlin's hip, where his own name and a small crown are etched into his skin. He licks across the mark, and Merlin shivers. He kisses it, and Merlin grabs his hair and directs his mouth to his cock instead. Arthur is happy to obey.

———

Morgana knocks and holds her breath, hoping this is the right choice, the right time, the right place.

Leon opens the door with a grin on his face.

"Morgana," he says, sounding pleased. "Come in. What are you doing here?"

"I was in the neighbourhood. I hope that's all right."

"Of course, of course. Can I get you anything to drink?"

"No, thank you."

They look at each other for a long moment. Morgana's the first to look away.

"I'm—"

"I'm glad you're here," Leon says softly. "I've been thinking about you."

She looks back at him. "You have been?"

"Yeah. I hope that's all right."

Morgana smiles easily. "Of course."

Another moment passes.

"Come sit?" Leon asks, gesturing at the living room.

Morgana nods and settles on a loveseat. Leon sits on the sofa.

"How have you been?" Leon asks. "I'm sorry I never reached out. I wasn't sure what to say."

"It's fine. Probably for the best. I don't think either of us were ready."

"No," Leon agrees. "Remember those earrings I tried to give you? That was such a bad move."

Morgana laughs and feels the tension between them break a little. "It was a very nice move. Just a tad inappropriate, considering you had a girlfriend."

"We didn't last much longer after that," Leon admits with a shy smile. "She kept the earrings though."

"Naturally."

Leon laughs, and Morgana licks her lips.

"So, I—"

"I'm glad—" Leon laughs again, looking sheepish. "Sorry, you first."

"I was just going to casually mention that I'm… single."

"Yeah. Me, too, actually. Have been for a while."

Morgana's status is newer for her, but she doesn't tell him that. She takes a deep breath. "I guess I was wondering if you'd like to go to dinner sometime. It doesn’t have to be tonight, I just thought it would be better to ask in person."

"I appreciate that. And I'd love to do dinner. Anytime."

Morgana smiles and feels a little more relaxed. "Good. That's… that's good."

Leon grins and pats the space next to him on the sofa. Morgana switches seats, keeping a polite distance between them, but Leon scoots closer.

"I'm glad you came over," he says, reaching for her hand. "I've missed you."

Morgana starts feeling warm. "I've missed you, too," she says, surprised to hear her voice come out so quiet. She laces her fingers with his.

"I'm… I'm glad it's you."

Morgana smiles and looks up at him. He's blushing. "I'm glad it's you, too."

Leon frowns suddenly. "Wait, is today your birthday?"

Morgana flushes. She had hoped he wouldn’t remember. "It is," she says. "That's why I was in the neighbourhood. I had lunch with my dad."

Leon nods and licks his lips. "Can I… if you want—we can wait, I just—"

"You can kiss me," Morgana says, her voice soft again.

Leon lets out a breath and looks at her lips. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

He tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, and then again because it slides back out, and then he kisses her. It's brief, slow, warm, and perfect. He kisses exactly how Morgana had always imagined.

"Well," he says as he pulls back, "that's… that's that, I guess."

"What do you mean?"

"I was worried it wouldn't be as I had hoped, but… I quite liked that."

Morgana laughs and kisses him again, sweeter, a little longer. "I liked it, too."

He grins and gives her a peck. "Good. Happy Birthday."

"Thank you. Can I ask," Morgana says before she can lose her nerve, "what does it say on your hip?"

"It says your name," Leon says, looking confused.

"I mean…"

"Here, look." He lifts up his shirt and pulls down the waistband of his trousers.

_Morgana_

It hits harder than she thought it would, and she covers her mouth with her hand as she starts to tear up.

"Has it always said that?" she asks, her voice muffled.

"Since the day I turned 16." Leon presses a kiss to the back of her hand.

"I thought it might be… I thought maybe…"

"It's always been Morgana," he assures her. "It's always been you."

Morgana laughs giddily and wipes her eyes before going in for a kiss. "Thank you."

"I didn't really have anything to do with it."

"I know. Thank you, anyway."

"You're welcome, anyway," he teases. He wraps his arms around her and pulls her in for a hug. "I would have gotten it fixed if it wasn't right."

"I know you would have." Morgana kisses his cheek and then his lips, letting it linger. "Thank you."

Leon wipes her damp cheeks and gives her a happy kiss. "Should we do that dinner thing? My treat. Unless you have other birthday plans?"

“I don’t.” Morgana lets him pull her up with him. She hugs him again, close and warm, and he rests his chin on top of her head. She loves how tall he is, how gentle and kind, how genuine, how _hers_.

"Dinner," she agrees, pulling back.

"My treat," Leon says. "I know just the place." He holds out his hand, and she takes it and lets him lead the way.


End file.
